Refrigerator car floor



Jan. 3, 1939. w, p. MURPHY ,1 2,798

REFRIGERATOR CAR FLOOR Filed Sept. 8, 1936 fnuavfor:

mfg/$22 Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATOR OAR FLOOR Walter P. Murphy, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 8, 1936, Serial No. 99,793

13 Claims.

The invention relates to railway refrigerator cars which are used to transport perishable commodities, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, candies, flowers, etc., and more particularly to a floor construction thereof, and has for its object to provide a very eflicient, strong and light floor" construction which is economic to manufacture and easy to build in a car.

Formerly ice was confined inan ice basket in the bunker of a railway refrigerator car and the lading was cooled by circulation of air around the ice and between the perishable commodities in the lading compartment, and the water from the melting ice was trapped and drained to the exterior of the car so that it was impossible for the water to damage the insulation of the car. In recent years, however, it has become common practice to put cakes of ice on top of the perishable commodity containers after they are loaded in the car. Some fresh vegetables and ferns are frequently loaded in the car by alternating layers of such vegetables (or ferns) with layers of cracked ice. Perishable commodities are also preserved by blowing pulverized ice over and between the packages after they are loaded in the car. These and other methods of cooling where the ice is in contact with the lading result in considerable water in the car. (Cars are sometimes precooled by putting cakes of ice in the car and closing the doors and allowing the ice to melt. Condensation (or sweating) also causes moisture in a car.) If the water is allowed to contact the insulation; the insulating value thereof would be decreased, and one of the principal objects of this invention is to prevent the water from destroying or reducing the efliciency of the insulation.

The object of the invention is to provide a very strong floor structure for a railway refrigerator car which is associated with the walls and underframe or center sill of the car so that the flooring, walls and underframe, or center sill, mutually reinforce each other, which floor structure at the same time protects the floor insulation against moisture from the interior of the car (melted ice) and also protects the floor insulation from moisture outside of the car (moisture by infiltration of air).

Another object is to provide a floor comprising a metallic sheet with an insulation thereunder, which metallic sheet is formed to provide gutters adjacent the side walls of the car which preferably drain into the water pan below the ice basket of an ordinary refrigerator car and an- 5 other object is to apex, camber or arch this medrain the water into these gutters. A water shed may be provided between the above mentioned side utters if desired and in some refrigerator ca "maybe desirable to run the gutters laterally ofthecar.

Another object of the invention is to camber the upper metallic sheet upwardly to form it into an arch between the opposite side walls of the car, or if desirable, between one of the side walls and the center construction or center sill of the car.

Another object is to camber both the upper and lower metallic sheets upwardly so that the entire floor construction forms an arch between the opposite walls of the car, and a still further object is to provide means of attachment between the metallic sheets (forming part of the flooring) with the cross bearers of the car so that the flooring and cross bearers form compression and tension members respectively of a truss.

Another object is to form a flooring of an upper and lower metallic sheet with an insulation therebetween and to close the edges of the flooring to provide a dead air space between the upper and lower metallic sheets.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a formof my construction wherein both the upper and lower metallic sheets, forming parts of the flooring, are cambered upwardly from one side wall to the other side wall.

Fig. 2 shows a modified construction wherein the upper and lower sheets are strengthened and rigidified by integral corrugations.

Fig. 3 shows a modified construction wherein the upper sheet is cambered upwardly between one side wall and the center construction of the car and the lower metallic sheet is straight between opposite side walls of the car.

Fig. 4 shows a modified construction wherein the upper sheet is cambered upwardly from one side wallto the other and formed with integral corrugations and the lower metallic sheet extends straight between the opposite side walls of the car.

In these figures only half of a vertical cross section of the lower parts of railway cars are shown.

In the drawing the usual parts of the car are shown, such as center sill i; cross bearer or beam 2; side sill 3; top cover plate 4; bottom cover plate 5; side sill reinforcing angle 6; side sheet 1; side insulation 8; inside lining 9; side protection strip l0; longitudinal floor supports ll; floor rack stringers l2 and floor rack i3.

In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1 the flooring comprises an upper metallic sheet 20, a lower metallic sheet 2| and an insulation 22 substantially filling the space between these two metallic sheets and between opposite side walls of the car whereby the upper metallic sheet protects the insulation 22 from water within the car caused by melted ice and the lower metallic sheet 2| protects the insulation from dampness outside of the car and both the upper and lower metallic sheets protect the insulation from moisture by infiltration. Boththe upper and lower sheets are cambered upwardly from one side wall to the other side wall of the 'car and are provided with an upstanding flange 24 adjacent each side wall so that the camber and the flange provide a gutter 25 adjacent each side wall which drain the water into the usual drip pans below the ice baskets at the ends of the car and the entire floor is preferably sloped toward these drip pans. The lower metallic sheet 2| extends between opposite side walls and is secured thereto, for instance, as shown by the rivet 25 holding it to the side plate reinforcing angle 6. Both the upper and lower metallic sheets are secured to the side wall, therefore, they are substantially secured to each other. Spacing blocks 21 are -provided with angle clips to hold the upper and lower sheets in proper relation to each other and to hold the insulation in place against its own inertia. The beams 2 are secured to the center sill l and extend outwardly from opposite sides of the center sill (usually called cross bearers) and are attached to the side sill l and side sill reinforcing angle 8, therefore, metallic sheets "-ll are effectively secured to the beams 2 so that the floor (that is, the upper and lower metallic sheets) form the compression member of a truss and the beams 2 and center sill I form the tension member of a truss.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2 the upper (a) and lower (3|) plates are formed with integral corrugations which extend substantially from one side wall of the car to the other which reinforce these sheets in compression and also reinforce the sheets as a beam between the opposite side walls to support the lading which rests upon the floor racks l3.

Fig. 3 shows a modification wherein the upper metallic sheet 40 is formed with a camber extending between one side wall and center construction or center sill l of the car and the lower metallic sheet ll extends in a straight line from the center construction I to the side wall so that the upper sheet 40 forms an arch and the lower sheet I forms a tie between the center construction and side wall, thus providing .a very strong floor. It is customary to cover the floor of a refrigerator car with asphaltum 44, or some water-proof material, and in such cases, I provide a filler extending between the crests l! of the cambered portions of the upper sheet 40 so that the asphaltum or other material extends in substantially a horizontal plane between these crests 46-. If it is desired to provide a gutter adjacent the center construction of the car, of course, the filler 45 may be omitted. The filler I is preferably attached to the upstanding flange ll of the sheet ll.

Fig. 4 shows a modification wherein the upper metallic sheet ll is corrugated and the lower metallic sheet II is flat. The upper metallic sheet It is corrugated to increase its strength under compression which may not be necessary in the lower metallic sheet, which is a tie member under tension.

In this construction the flooring, side walls and underframe of the car are tied together so that they mutually reinforce each other.

' This application relates to the same subject matter as my co-pending application Serial No. 97,793, flled August 25, 1936.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not'limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:'

1. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side walls and a flooring for said car comprising spaced apart metallic sheets with spacers and insulation therebetween, both of said metallic sheets being cambered upwardly from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets to said walls respectively.

2. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side walls, a center sill and a flooring for said car comprising spaced apart metallic sheets with insulation therebetween, both of said metallic sheets being cambered upwardly from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets to said walls respectively, said flooring being partially supported by the center sill.

3. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side walls, a center sill, beams secured to and extending outwardly from opposite sides of the center sill in supporting relation to the side walls, and a flooring for said car comprising spaced apart metallic sheets with insulation therebetween, both of said metallic sheets being cambered upwardly from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets to the ends of said beams whereby the floor and beams form the compression and tension members of a truss.

4. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and a flooring for said car extending between said walls, said floor comprising a metallic sheet and an insulation therebelow whereby the metallic sheet protects the insulation from moisture within the car, said metallic sheet cambered upwardly between each wall and the center sill, a filler extending between the crests of the cambered portions of the sheet and an asphaltum coating covering said metallic sheet and said filler.

' 5. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and a metallic sheet flooring having up-' standing flanges adjacent said walls, said sheet flooring being cambered upwardly between said flanges to form a supporting arch therebetween whereby the flooring also forms a watershed sloping toward the walls and the flanges form gutters to protect the side walls.

6. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and a metallicsheet flooring having upstanding flanges adjacent said walls, said sheet flooring being cambered upwardly between said flanges to form a supporting arch therebetween whereby the flooring also forms a watershed sloping toward the walls, said metallic sheet flooring formed with a plurality of parallel corrugations merging into the plate adjacent said flanges to provide gutters to protect the side walls.

7. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side walls, and a flooring, said flooring comprising upper and lower metallic sheets with spacers and insulation therebetween, the upper metallic sheet being cambered upwardly from side wall to side wall and the lower metallic sheet extending straight from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets to the side walls so that the metallic sheets and the spacers cooperate to form an arched truss between the side walls.

8. 'In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side walls, a center sill, and a flooring, said flooring comprising upper and lower metallic sheets with spacers and insulation therebetween, the upper metallic sheet being cambered upwardly between each side wall and the center sill and the lower metallic sheet extending straight from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets 15 to the side walls and center sill so that the metallic sheets and the spacerscooperate to form an archedv truss between each side wall and the center sill.

9. In a refrigerator car having spaced apartside walls, and a flooring, said flooring comprising upper and lower metallic sheets with spacers and insulation therebetween, the upper metallic sheet being cambered upwardly from side wall-to side wall and the lower metallic sheet extending straight from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets to the side walls so that the metallic sheets and the spacers cooperate to form an arched truss between the side walls, the camberedv portions of the upper metallic sheet being formed with a plurality of corrugations extending crosswise of the car to stiffen said portion as a compression member.

10. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart side walls, a center sill, and a flooring, said flooring comprising upper and lower metallic sheets with spacers and insulation therebetween, the upper metallic sheet being cambered upwardly between each side wall and the center sill and the lower metallic sheet extending straight from side wall to side wall, and means to anchor said sheets to the side walls and center sill so that the metallic sheets and the spacers cooperate to form an arched truss between each side wall and the center sill, the cambered portions of the upper metallic sheet being formed with a plurality of corrugations extending crosswise of the car to stiffen said portions as compression members.

11. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls, a sill therebetween and a flooring; said flooring comprising a metallic sheet cambered upwardly between each wall and the sill and secured thereto to provide a supporting arch between each wall and the sill, stringers resting upon said sheet and extending substantially parallel to said walls. and a foraminous floor supported by said stringers.

12. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls, a sill therebetween and a flooring; said flooring comprising a metallic sheet cambered upwardly between each wall and the sill and secured thereto to provide a supporting arch between each wall and the sill, stringers resting upon said sheet and extending substantially parallel to said walls, and a foraminous floor supported by said stringers, said stringers being of various depths so as to provide a horizontally disposed foraminous floor.

13. In a refrigerator car having spaced apart walls and a flooring; said flooring comprising a metallic sheet cambered upwardly between said walls and secured thereto to provide a supporting arch, stringers resting upon said sheet and extending substantially parallel to said walls, and a foraminous floor supported by said stringers, said stringers being of various depths so as to provide a horizontally disposed foraminous floor.

- WALTER P. MURPHY. 

